Guadalajara - School Report Question and Answers
Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
The school is a local school, composed mainly of wealthy people from Guadalajara. Some of these mothers are highly involved in their children's lives and have the time to be on campus daily. For an expat, it can be challenging to break into this group. People are often super nice, but it's all superficial and can be difficult to make true friends. So, for example, you'll invite a child to come play at your house and the mother will allow it, but then your child isn't later invited to their house and this pattern repeats. It honestly depends. - Feb 2016
We've been able to make homeschooling work socially by signing our kids up for classes and going on camping trips with expat and Mexican kids. - May 2014
Many expat children do not find it a welcoming environment. Despite having attended several schools overseas, my children did not adapt. The school has some serious issues they need to address. I sincerely hope they can. - May 2014
None. - May 2014
Spanish is the social language, so it may take a while for non-Spanish speakers to feel comfortable. However, I have seen some consulate kids who didn't speak Spanish jump right in, so who knows! Guadalajara is VERY conservative, so a progressive viewpoint may be an issue too. - May 2014
Like I mentioned before, the children are segregated and there is a major "class" issue between the wealthy locals and the international kids. There is no effort to change this at the administrative level due to the financial pressure. Non-native speakers are isolated and bullied. Extracurricular activities are all in Spanish and bullying keeps many out. The school is more of a social club for the mothers and the communication stays in that inner circle, most decisions being made by that core group. There is no consideration for working families, requiring parents to show up at school at the last minute for random reasons. - Apr 2014
